“T-Bone” and The Shed

Cover Image.

“T-Bone” and The Shed. Photograph by Sam Miller.

The cover photo shows Mississippi blues-man Tommie “T-Bone” Pruitt playing at The Shed Barbeque and Blues Joint in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on July 14, 2012. Blues music is without a doubt a quintessential art form of the American South. Rooted in African-American hardship, the blues tell stories of human truths such as love, poverty, violence, and death (Richard 2006). The stories and myths of bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta have received worldwide fame, but other bluesman, such as those of the lower Mississippi Piney Woods, are sometimes forgotten.

Tommie “T-Bone” Pruitt was born in 1933 in Ellisville, Mississippi (Pruitt 2012). In 1948, T-Bone began playing clubs around the Hattiesburg area, and his band soon became the house band at the Star Theatre on Hattiesburg’s historic Mobile Street. “I would get paid 8 or 9 dollars a night. I started playing with other bands from there, and I’ve been going ever since” (Pruitt 2012). Through the 1960s and 1970s, he continued playing music in the Southeast, performing with Bo Diddley, Ike and Tina Turner, The “5” Royales, and many others (Barretta 2013). Pruitt is now 81 years old, still lives in Ellisville, and continues to lead his band The Rhythm Rockers in shows across the Southeast.

The story of “T-Bone” Pruitt is familiar; he has lived the life of a mythical bluesman by combining hard work, struggle, and delight, while constantly travelling the “tired, lonesome road” (Pruit 2012). “My first amplifier was built from a jukebox speaker and a busted amplifier,” said Pruitt. When he was younger, he even crafted his own “diddley bow.” “I got a board and a string, and made my guitar neck. And I put a cigar box in there and it had four strings, but it was like a guitar” (Pruitt 2012).

Growing up in a musically talented family, Pruitt remembers the meaning of music and hard work in South Mississippi. “My daddy would work and play and could get groceries from playing; he’d play the banjo and blow the harp” (Pruitt 2012). His favorite pastime was fishing the small waterways of the South, and he humorously remembers when fishing was easier. “I love to fish, and long time ago, people would let you fish on their land, and they don’t let you do that anymore. You can’t go fishing on anybody’s pond anymore. You’ve got to have insurance!”

He says he continues to play music to help put things behind him. “You’ll always have something on your mind. Music helps your nerves and can help you live a whole lot longer. If I ever stop playing, I guess I wouldn’t be around much longer” (Pruitt 2012).

In addition to the story of “T-Bone” Pruitt, this photograph, taken at The Shed, shows another cultural staple of the Southeast—barbecue. The marriage of the blues and barbecue is recognized across the South, and the sounds and aromas can be difficult to escape on hot southern nights (Bass 1995). In most cases, southern barbecue—or the barbecue styles most familiar to the readership of the Southeastern Geographer—consists of slow-cooked pork, with specific flavors, seasonings, and preparations varying according to sub-regions across the Southeast (York 2012). But like blues music, barbecue is heavily embedded in African-American history (Bass 1995). The preparation and seasoning of barbecue, as well as its role as a food of social gatherings, have all been documented as a central part of African-American heritage (Bass 1995; Suddath 2009).

Barbecue is a rather inexpensive meal and is usually prepared in large quantities. These characteristics make it a perfect option for social gatherings like picnics and festivals (Suddath 2009). A good example of this tradition is the annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic near Holly Springs (NMHCP 2014). Currently in its ninth year, the event is a place for the families and fans of Mississippi Hill Country bluesmen, such as R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Otha Turner, to...